Device for removing liquid from filamentary strands



Aug. 18, 1953 c. w. COX

DEVICE FOR REMOVING LIQUID FROM FILAMENTARY STANDS Fild May 10, 1949 INVENTOR. CHARLES W. COX

A TTORNEY Patented Aug. 18, 1953 DEVICE FOR REMOVING LIQUID FROM FILAMENTARY STRANDS Charles W. Cox, St. Albans, W. Va., assignor to American Viscose Corporation, Wilmington, Del., a corporation of Delaware Application May 10, 1949, Serial No. 92,286

8 Claims. 1

This invention relates to an apparatus for continuously expressing a liquid from a running bundie of filamentary material. The apparatus is particularly useful in removing a liquid from large textile strands such as a rayon tow comprising up to 150,000 or more separate filaments. It is an object of the invention to provide an adjustable apparatus for removing a substantial portion of the liquid carried by such strands. Another object is to provide apparatus which may be instantly threaded or from which the strand may be removed without severing it or stopping the movement of the strand. It is another object to remove liquid materials from large running strands by apparatus which has but little area coming into contact with the strand and the liquid, thereby avoiding the untidiness and maintenance associated with the operation of liquid-expressing means such as squeeze rolls. Still another object is to provide the apparatus with readily replaceable and abrasion-resistant elements which constitute the portions of the apparatus which are subjected to wear and abrasion from the passage of strand thereover. Another object is to provide an apparatus for removing liquid material from two or more strands simultaneously that may be adjusted readily to obtain a different degree of liquid removal. Other objects, features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description of the invention and the drawing relating thereto in which Fig. 1 is an elevation view partly in section of an embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 1A is a section view of the apparatus illustrated in Fig. 1 taken along line 11-11;

Fig. 2 is a pictorial view of the apparatus illustrating a stationary support therefor and its relationship with a pair of running strands;

Fig. 3 is a section of a modified apparatus taken along line III]1I of Fig. 4;

Fig. 4 is a section taken along line IV--IV of Fig. 3; and

Fig. 5 is an enlarged section taken along line V--V of Fig. 1 illustrating in greater detail a portion of the apparatus and its relationship with a multiple-filament strand.

In brief, the invention comprises an apparatus provided with one or more U-shaped or bi-prong members through each of which a continuous filamentary bundle may be passed. Each member is rotatable on an axis substantially parallel to the longitudinal direction of its oppositely spaced strand-guiding surfaces. When there are two or more members in the apparatus, the members are simultaneously rotatably adjustable about their axes.

One embodiment of the invention is illustrated in detail in Figs. 1 and 2. As shown in Fig. 2, the apparatus 8 extends through a frame support 9 with the branched members l4 and [5 thereof extending into the region traversed by the running filamentary bundles or strands H and 12. The strands pass between the legs or prongs of the members I4 and 15 which are secured to the lower end portions of shafts l6 and i1, respectively. These shafts extend through housings l9 and into a case 22. Gears 24 and 25 are secured to the portions of the shafts extending into the case by means of such as keys 26 and set screws 21. The gears are provided with suitable teeth for engagement with the worm gear 28 secured onto a shaft 29 which extends through the wall of the case 22 as shown in Fig. 1A. A hand wheel 30 is secured to the portion of the shaft 29 which extends outwardly from the case. The sleeve members 3| which rest on flanges 33 and 34 extending radially inwardly, respectively, from the lower end portions of the housings l9 and 26, and the flanges 32 of bearings 36 correctly align theg ears 24 and 25 with the worm gear 28 in a vertical direction. Bearings and 3! support the shafts laterally within the sleeves 3|.

The case 22 may be formed in any desired manner, preferably so that easy access is obtained to the mechanism therewithin. As shown, it consists of a cylindrical shell 40, a lower disc portion 4|, and an upper disc portion 42, said disc portions fitting within the annular recesses 44 and 45 of the shell 40. The case, as illustrated, is held together by bolts 46 extending through the plat 42 to the plate 4|. The case is secured to the frame member 9 by lugs 4'! and cap screws 43.

Normally, it will be desired to have the forked members I4 and I5 rotate in such a manner as to maintain equal angularity with the general direction of the paths of the strands II and I2. It is permissible by other gear arrangements to rotate these members in the same direction. However, in the devices shown, adjacent members are rotated in opposite directions with respect to each other.

On account of the tendency of the strands, particularly when the strands contain slurry-like liquids containing finely divided solid materials, to wear away or abrade the surface with which the strand comes into contact, the surfaces 5|, 5 la, and 5|b of the forked members are protected with replaceable wear-resisting elements 48 which may be inserted into holes 49 drilled into the members I4 and I5 and having sufficient diameter to permit insertion of the rod-like elements 48. In order that the elements may be more readily removed from the holes 49, smaller holes are drilled into the members contiguously and coaxially with the holes 49 to permit insertion-of means such as a small punch which may be gently tapped to loosen an element '48, if the need arises. The holes 49 have threaded sections near the other ends thereof to accommodate small exteriorly threaded plugs 52. This method of retaining replaceable insertswillbe found to have wide applicability in strand-guiding devices. It will be noted that the .members M and 15 are not duplicates but, :on account of.

their opposite directions of rotation, are mirror images of each other. In the event they turned in the same direction, the bifurcate members are constructed as duplicates.

The elements G8 are produced in rod-form from an abrasion or wear-resistant material such as glass, quartz, sapphire, or other material which is also preferably corrosion-resistant. Rather brittle materials, if they are sufliciently abrasionresistant, may be utilized for this purpose .even

though the elements 48 are subjected to appreciable sidewise pressure from 'a tow or other strand as it passes through the member .i-d or 15 since the elements :18 are laterally reinforced by portions 54 and 55 of the member 14 or it. These portions are provided with arcuately formed surfaces 51 and 58 (Fig. 5) which fit around the portions of the elements 45. A horizontal element 68 is provided across the upper portions of the members l4 and [5 since the forked members are ordinarily positioned at a level lower than the strand would assume if it Was tightly stretched, and the strands tend to pass'along the upper portions of the openings 59 through the members 14 and [-5. Although the end portions of the legs of the members it and 15 are provided with lugs or toes -60 to prevent the tow from over-running, spreading, or perchance escaping from the inner surfaces of the members, the upper surfaces 6| of the toes are subject to less wear and need not be provided .with special wear-resistant materials such as the elements 48.

The use of worm gears to transmit adjustment or rotation from the shaft which is manually or otherwise rotated, to the shafts which support the pronged members is advantageous because of the self-locking operation which results from the low power transmission efficiency of worm gearing. The gears should be selected with a sufficiently small helix angle. of the worm so that any force applied to the elements It and I5 tending to rotate the shafts l6 and I! will be overcome by the friction force caused by engagement of the gears.

Figs. 3 and 4 diagrammatically illustrate an apparatus suitable for handling four separate strands. The apparatus is similar to that of Figs. 1, and 2 except that modification has been made to accommodate additional shafts and 66. As the gears .63 and 69 are suitable for meshing only with the worm gear H3, spur gears 12 and 13 secured on shafts I5 and 16 respectively, in mesh with gears 11 and 78 on shafts 65 and 66, re-- spectively, transmit the drive needed for simultaneous adjustment of the forked members 18. The arrangement shown in Figs. 3 and 4 is'merely illustrative of themanner in which a plurality of shafts may be interconnected toobtainsimultaneous adjustment of a plurality of .bifurcate liquid stripping members. As illustrated in Fig. 1, right and left-handed members are provided on the apparatus according to the direction in which they are rotated.

While preferred embodiments of the invention have been shown, it is to be understood that changes and rvariations -may :be made without departing'from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. An apparatus for stripping a liquid from multiplerfilament strands comprising a plurality of similarly aligned bifurcate members having parallel-axes-of:rotation extending in a direction generally parallel to the longitudinal direction of the opposed inner surfaces of the members, parallel shafts extending from the members, in-

termeshing gear members connecting the shafts for rotation in unison, a manual controller, and a worm gear drive connecting the controller with at least one shaft for turning ll .of the members simultaneously.

2. An apparatus for stripping a liquid from multiple-filament strands comprising two rotatable U-shaped members each having an .axis of rotation and being similarly aligned with respect thereto, said axes extending in a direction parallel with the longitudinal direction of the inner laterally spaced surfaces of the legs of each member, said inner surfaces being normally in engagement with opposite sides of the strand, a housing, two parallel shafts each extending into the housing from the closed end of one of the members, a shaft-extending transversely through the casing between the shafts of the members normal to a plane containing said shafts, a gear fixed on each shaft on the portion thereof extending within the housing, a single worm gear on the transverse shaft in mesh with eachef the gears mounted on the shafts of the members.

3. An apparatus for stripping a liquid from multiple-filament strands comprising two similarly aligned bifurcate members having parallel axes of rotation which extend in a direction generally parallel to inner laterally spaced surfaces of the legs of each member, a housing, two parallel shafts each extending along an axiszof rotation from the closed end of one of the members *into the housing, :a gear secured "to each shaft on the portion thereof extendinginto the housing, a shaft extending transversely through housing between the gear normal to a plane containing the axes of the .parallel shafts, a hand Wheel fixed to .a :portion of the transverse shaft out'side of the housing and a Worm gear fixed .to the transverse shaft in mesh with the gears of the parallelshafts.

4. An apparatus for stripping a liquid from multiple filament strands comprising a plurality of bifurcate members having parallel axes of rotation extending in a direction generally parallel to the longitudinal direction of the opposed inner surfaces of the members, shafts extending from the members concentrically along respective :axes .of rotation, gearmembers on adjacent shafts connected .in driving relationship for rotating the shafts together, :and a manual controller in drive connection with one of said gear members for turning all of the shafts simultaneously.

5. An apparatus for stripping a liquid from multiple filament strands comprising a :plurality of bifurcate members having parallel axes of rotation .extending in a direction generally parallel to the,longitudinahdirectionof the opposed inner surfaces of the members, shafts extending from the members concentrically along respective axes of rotation, gear members on adjacent shafts connected in driving relationship for connecting the shafts for rotation together, said gear members comprising a pair of Worm gears and a worm extending transversely therebetween and in mesh therewith, said worm gears being mounted on separate adjacent shafts in a substantially common plane, and manually operable means connected with the Worm for turning it.

6. An apparatus for stripping a liquid from multiple filament strands comprising a plurality of bifurcate members having parallel axes of rotation generally parallel to the longitudinal direction of the opposed inner surfaces of the members, parallel shafts extending from the members, gear members in series meshing relationship for connecting the shafts for rotation in unison, a manual controller, and a Worm gear drive comprising one of said gear members connecting the controller with at least one shaft for turning all of the members simultaneously.

7. An apparatus for stripping a, liquid from multiple filament strands comprising a plurality of bifurcate members having parallel axes of rotation extending in a direction generally parallel to the longitudinal direction of the opposed inner surfaces of the members, shafts extending from the members concentrically along respective axes of rotation, gear members on adjacent shafts in driving relationship for connecting the shafts for rotation in unison, means for manually turning all of the shafts simultaneously, and means for leading strands along separate paths, each path extending between the legs of one of the members, each leg of a member comprising an abrasion-resistant element extending along the surface of said opposin surfaces that is leading with respect to the direction of rotation of the member to which the said surface belongs about its axis.

8. Apparatus as defined in claim 7 wherein the abrasion resistant element consists of an elongate insert, and each leg of the members has a pair of holes disposed at each end of said surface edge complementary to the peripheries of opposite end portions of the insert, one of the holes being open at both of its ends to permit passage therethrough of the insert to the other hole.

CHARLES W. COX.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 838,046 McKean Dec. 11, 1906 894,860 Strickler Aug. 4, 1908 1,493,366 Mellor May 6, 1924 1,525,837 Walker et a1 Feb. 10, 1925 1,564,995 Allen Dec. 8, 1925 1,843,078 Berger Jan. 26, 1932 2,199,861 Schrean et a1 May 7, 1940 2,370,290 Czeczowitzka Feb. 27, 1945 2,385,097 McLellan Sept. 18, 1945 

